The Devil is Loose (1973), is about the rise to power of Richard the Lionheart and his brother John, with the King of France playing off one against the other and the great model of chivalry, William Marshal who remained unswervingly loyal to each of the Angevin kings. The New York Times has labeled Shelby's work as “superior historical fiction”. History is not the background, but the substance of his work. There is wear to the covers and a previous seller’s sticker on the spine as shown in the photos, but internally, the book is appears to be in unread condition with some tanning of the pages. It was originally published at $1.50.